1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to the field of sorting of objects and more particularly relates to technology for sorting the output of a bottle washing machine into a plurality of single file columns to enable inspection of the bottles on an individual basis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional bottle washing arrangements utilize a mass sorting concept wherein the bottles are discharged randomly, and then commercially available combiner and divider equipment and conveyors are utilized to combine the containers into a single file column for inspection. A conventional arrangement of this nature requires a considerable amount of floor space for the equipment, and also the necessary equipment requires periodic maintenance, consumes a considerable amount of power during operation, and also results in the generation of substantial amounts of noise.
German Offenlegungschrift No. 25 11 206 is considered to be fairly pertinent to the present invention, and discloses an arrangement for sorting the output of a bottle washing machine in which the output thereof is directed onto a set of four moving conveyor belts. In the disclosed arrangement a plurality of flat distributor plates or guides of different lengths extend at an angle across the moving belts and serve to discharge the bottles onto the several different conveyor belts. However, this reference is deficient in teaching a bottle washing arrangement which is designed to facilitate an orderly progression of bottles onto the discharge conveyor belts. More specifically this German Offenlegungsschrift does not disclose an arrangement wherein the bottle guides have ends curved in a direction towards the upstream direction from which the conveyor belts are traveling to cause the bottles at the ends of the deflector plates to be slowed in their travel onto conveyor belts to facilitate an orderly progression of bottles from the bottle washer onto the discharge conveyor belts.
Casey, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,563 discloses a machine for washing and sorting bottles. The bottles enter the machine in single file, and are also discharged therefrom in single file. One embodiment therein utilizes an arrangement for unscrambling bottles and arranging them in a continuous straight line relationship as they enter the machine. The unscrambler includes a flat bed comprising a plurality of conveyor belts arranged with adjacent belts moving in opposite directions. However, although the conveyor belts are used to sort the bottles, they are not arranged in a manner as in the present invention wherein individual belts are used to sort the output of a bottle washing machine.
Keller U.S. Pat. No. 2,073,746 discloses a bottle cleaning machine wherein the bottles are arranged in a parallel line upon a section of a conveyor adapted to be moved intermittently through the machine. However, this patent also does not disclose an arrangement for sorting bottles at the discharge end of a machine by the utilization of plural conveyor belts arranged parallel to each other and perpendicular to the direction of discharge of the bottles from the machine.
Whelan U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,915,773 and Whelan 2,967,321, disclose bottle cleaning arrangements wherein the discharge output of the cleaning machine is onto a single linear conveyor belt. In these patents a rotary transfer disc transfers the cleaned containers onto a discharge conveyor belt. Copping et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,291 discloses a bottle cleaning arrangement wherein the bottles are discharged onto a linear conveyor belt. In further detail, a bottle inverting means at the discharge end of the rinsing machine transfers the vertical orientation of each bottle from an inverted to an upright position and deposits the bottles onto a suitable conveyor belt. Aidlin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,350 discloses a bottle cleaning machine in which the bottles at the discharge output of the machine are deposited onto a suitable conveyor belt. Standley U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,674 discloses a bottle washing machine in which the bottles are gripped by a unit at the discharge end of the machine which inverts the bottles from an inverted to an upright position and deposits them upon a single output conveyor belt.